SoloCell

As designers who engage with the question of how photovoltaics can become truly usable in everyday life – especially within the semi-private spaces of balconies, terraces, or façades – we quickly realized that the main obstacle lies less in the technology itself than in its form. Conventional solar panels are designed for large, homogeneous roof surfaces: standardized, heavy, inflexible, and visually difficult to integrate into fine-grained residential architectures. For many people living in rented apartments or changing living situations, they remain practically inaccessible. Our vision starts precisely at this point. Instead of developing new production logics, we deliberately make use of existing industrial structures. We intervene in the manufacturing process of conventional modules by preventing already produced, square solar cells from being further assembled into large standard panels and instead translating them into small, self-contained modules. For us as designers, this represents a shift in perspective: away from the idea of a universal product and toward a system that adapts to the real diversity of living situations. From these small modules emerges a flexible system that can be interconnected and easily installed. Users* can configure their own energy surface – adapted to balconies, terraces, or façades.

Even seemingly unsuitable surfaces such as narrow railings, offset parapets, corners, or slanted walls become usable. The modules can be arranged horizontally, vertically, angled, or in tile-like patterns, integrating into existing geometries rather than dominating them. The perspective of mobile and nomadic ways of living is particularly important to us. Those who rent or move frequently rely on solutions that are not permanently tied to a single location. Conventional PV systems are difficult to dismantle and emotionally as well as financially bound to a fixed site. Our modular system can be disassembled, reconfigured, and adapted to changing living situations. Energy generation thus becomes a personal, portable infrastructure.
From a design perspective, we do not understand the modules merely as technical components, but as part of an architectural expression. Users* can decide how visible or subtle the modules appear and how they integrate into existing façade structures. By using established cell formats, weight, technical complexity, and costs remain low. At the same time, the small module size enables exchangeability, repairability, and further development. In this way, the lifespan of the system is extended while renewable energy becomes more accessible, adaptable, and shapeable.